the national marine sanctuary program

The National Marine Sanctuary Program

Overview

• NOAA, National Marine Sanctuary System, and Thunder Bay NMS

• How does the sanctuary nomination process work?

• Status of Wisconsin’s efforts and next

steps

NOAA Line Offices

National Weather Service (NWS)

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)

National Environmental, Satellite, Data, & Information Service (NESDIS)

National Ocean Service (NOS)

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

SCIENCE

SERVICE

STEWARDSHIP

NOAA Assets

National Marine Sanctuaries

“Areas of the marine environment with special conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, cultural, archaeological, or esthetic qualities…” National Marine Sanctuary Act (sec. 301)

Sanctuaries are “Placed-based”

The Sanctuary System

Sanctuary Management

Conservation and

Preservation

Resource Protection

Education & Outreach

Research & Monitoring

What is Allowed in Sanctuaries?

• What does “sanctuary” mean?

• Are people allowed to fish and dive? Can anyone use a sanctuary?

• Each sanctuary is different; tailored to specific needs and threats

• Thunder Bay NMS: no restrictions on access; no regulations restricting fishing

System Facts

• 14 field sites, 4 regional offices

• Program budget around $48 million

• 47 vessels (31 small, 8 medium, 8 large)

• 7 visitor centers, 8 major exhibits

• 14 Advisory Councils with 440 members & alternates

• Over 400+ major partnerships, including zoos and aquaria, academia, industry, and tourism.

Community Engagement and Partnerships

Advisory Councils

Volunteers

Visitor Centers & Exhibits

NMSF & Friends Groups

Sustaining Local Economies

Stellwagen Bank NMS

• Top 10 whale watching destination in the world

• $24 million annual revenue

Thunder Bay NMS

• An economic engine for the Alpena region

Florida Keys NMS

• 400,000 visitors in 2008 • $103 million spent on rec fishing alone

Across all national

marine sanctuaries,

about $4 billion

annually is generated

in local coastal and

ocean dependent

economies

12

Business Advisory Council

• Representatives from travel and tourism, recreation, fishing, transportation, energy, and technology sectors, corporate foundations, and other businesses

• TripAdvisor , Royal Caribbean International, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Johnson Outdoors Inc, Cheney Energy Partners, LLC

Thunder Bay NMS

• Designated in 2000

• 4,300 square miles (expanded in Sept. 2014)

• Protects nationally significant collection of estimated 200 shipwrecks in Lake Huron

Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center

Archaeological Research and Documentation

EB Allen

Grecian

Education: ROV competition

Alpena Community College: Marine Tech Program

19

Partnerships with businesses

Wisconsin

A community-based nomination to manage and interpret maritime heritage resources in Lake Michigan as a national marine sanctuary

Timeline

2006: NOAA had initial discussions with Wisconsin Historical Society

2007: Established state agency working group

2008: Wisconsin Historical Society report

2009-present: Meetings with elected officials and stakeholders, state agency working group; participating in public outreach events

2014: Wisconsin sanctuary nomination

Wisconsin’s Historic Shipwrecks An Overview and Analysis of Locations for a

State/Federal Partnership with the National Marine

Sanctuary Program

Sanctuary Program

Keith N. Meverden and Tamara L. Thomsen With Historic Overview by Paul P. Kreisa and David J. Cooper

State Archaeology and Maritime Preservation Program

Technical Report Series #08-003

Maritime Trail Regions

Mid-Lake Region

875-square mile area

33 known shipwrecks

Two oldest shipwrecks in Wisconsin

14 intact shipwrecks

Four vessels have standing masts

15 shipwrecks on National Register

Range of construction dates: 1833-1918

History of Sanctuary Nominations

• First formal process developed in late 1970s

• Site Evaluation List (SEL) developed in 1983

• SEL included natural and historical marine resource sites

New Sanctuary Nomination Process

A new opportunity for local

communities and other interested

parties to provide NOAA with

criteria-driven proposals

(nominations) for new national

marine sanctuaries.

Sanctuary Nomination Process

June 28 – August 27,

2013

Federal Register Notice: Public Comment Period for DRAFT Rule to Re-Establish the Sanctuary Nomination Process

In Progress

Agency Develops a Response to the Public Comments and Submits

for Clearance the Final Rule

Federal Register Notice: FINAL Rule to Re-Establish the

Sanctuary Nomination Process

June 14, 2014

28

Nomination Package

• Resources of national significance

• Community-based support

• Possible commitments for partnership opportunities

• Opportunities for research and education

Status of Wisconsin’s Nomination

• Wisconsin Historical Society has lead

• Coordinating with State Agency Working Group and Governor’s office

• Working with Community Working Group. All communities have local working groups.

• Nomination almost finished

Next Steps

• New nominations do not equate to new sanctuary designations.

• Nominated areas will be reviewed by NOAA and decisions made on which areas NOAA will initiate the formal designation process.

• Formal designation is a separate, highly public process that often takes years to complete.

The Designation Process

Comply with National Environmental Policy Act

Hold scoping meetings

Priorities for management

Threats to resource

Boundaries

Regulations and enforcement

Education programs

Partnership opportunities

The Designation Process

Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Management Plan

Solicit comments and hold public hearings

Publish Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Management Plan

For More Information

www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov

www.nominate.noaa.gov

Ellen Brody

ellen.brody@noaa.gov

734-741-2270